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March 21* 1939.
Robert William Croasdell. (White)
542 Oak St.* Hendersonville* M.O.
(Fruit Merchant)
Mrs. Luline Mabry,. (Interviewer)
Prank liassimino. (Writer)
Publicity Man
'Dad*' a reporter for a weekly newspaper
in western North Carolina recently pleated with Dad
Ryden* aged merchant and Main Street philosopher of
the little mountain resort town* Tim a good sport
and give as the law down on that trip you Just made."
Dad* who had just returned froa a Plorida trip* where
he had visited his son* Rex* and who had run into a
little misadventure along the way* grinned but declined
to be used for 'copy.'
"But think of the publicity* Dadl" And
here the renarter struck a responsive chord. Dad
yielded. Agy4Mention of publicity made him happy.
Because publicity for himself meant publicity for his
community* and Dad was an ardent booster for his adopted
city and state.
Some time later, back at his fruit store*
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Dad took from his pocket the printed copy of the story
he had given to the reporter. It had been sent en
to a nearby daily* and appeared, under their date line.
RYDILL N KRUM OF firmito WAY' CLUB
SUKKITSVILLS. March 2. (Special) -*Sad*
Ryden, 83 year -old gnglish-.Vorn citisen
of this city, said Thursday that he now
knows how 'Wrong Way Corrigan' felt when
he landed his plane in Ireland.
"In fact," the fruit merchant
said, 'Corrigan made history for the air
lines and I have made history for the bus
lines.'
He had just returned from a trip
to Florida* where he visited two sons. How-
ever, he cane very near to being at the time
back in the Sunshine state instead of Sum.
miteville.
The Mierchant who prides himself
on being a ens -man publicity bureau for
this section, spent several hours in sleep
between Jacksonville and Augusta, Ga., on
his return here.
admits that his eyes were hardly
open when he changed buses in Augusta, think-
ing that he would continue his journey north.
"After I had ridden for some time
on the bus that I boarded in Augusta
began to marvel at the way Georgia had
grown sines last I had passed, through the
state," Mr. Aydell told his friends hare.
"However, it is still a pusebe to as that
it never downed on me that 1 had headed
south again."
"Then it wasn't until a lady on
the bus asked the driver what time she
could get a bus out of Jacksonville for
Miami. Gracious, I thought, that woman
had the wrong bus."
"It was a short tins later that
the light I told the driver of the
bus and he had MA get off in Waycross, Ga.,
far south of Augusta, and wait for the nest
bus back north."
"Dad" said he was afraid to go
all the way back to Jacksonville for fear
that one of his sons would get his episode
"spread all over the papers."
Dad's first feeling was one of self- re-
proach that he had, in giving the story to the re-
porter, held hilaself up as a rather ludicrous figure.
But as he scanned the story for the second time, he
grinned, satisfied this time that he had achieved
another publicity stunt successfully.
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Dad is like that. Self..saerifloing, so
to s-eak, in matters that *once= the welfare, in
terms of publicity, of his adopted neighborhood.
V
Net lens ego. when a move t under 'my to remove
the lofty greaser* toteee Inv Mein Street, Dad
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marched into the offices of the mayor and asked
that the trees be saved.
'What about the danger of fallen wires
caused by the pressure of the boughs in high winds?"
he was asked.
Dad, who may be inconsistent in thought
but none the less consistent in purpose, simply
replieds
'To hell with the wiliest If worse eases
to worse, take 'ern down. The summer people don't
give a damn if the whole town is lighted with
kerosene lamps. But if you remove those trees you'll
remove our sumaer visitors, for they'll never re-
turn here again. They'll go to some other plasm
where there are a few trees. I knew that.'
The unhappy official, who, after all,
had been subjected to pressure from another group
who insisted the trees be removed, and, it must in
fairness be said, who was in no personal way interested
in the problem, threw his hands into the air.
'Tan I help it if the visitors won't like
It?* he thouted. Then en reflection. 'I hope
it don't keep sem away, though, d. but, hell, it
won't. That's only your own opinions* That was
an unwise thing to say, as he later found out,
because Dad marehed straight out of his office
determined to prove th' t it wasn't just one man's
opinion but a good deal more than that.
A few moments Later, Dad strode into the
offices of the daily newspaper. Hare he was greeted
with open arms, for locally he had the reputation
of being Voted copy.' He submitted his plea for
saving the treats, then went home and penned a dosen
or more letters to visitors who had been coming to
the resort town for years. The result was even
better than he had anticipated. Letters poured in
by the demons, his plea having been trebled by
word-ofilmouth circulation. Dad was smart enough to
see that the letters were directed unopened to the
mayor and to the editor of the paper. Shortly at ter.
ward, he was summoned to the office of the Mayor.
But before he went, he grabbed a copy of the latest
edition of the local paper. In that issue the
editor had published letters from former visitors
in which were omitted howls of editorial displeasure
at the officials who were trying to "efface the
beauty of the town" and *destroy the very atmosphere"
that had once made the resort a favorite vacation
111110t*
"I showed that paper to the mayors" Mad
remembers, land I know I had him lieked.0 But Dads
in whoa compassion is a noteworthy virtues let
the offioials who was certainly on a spots have his
way to some extent. The result was that, as a palm
native gesture toward the pressure groups some of
the limbs that interfered with the wires were removed.,
and everyone was satisfied.
Dad is a former trader in fruits and some
say thaghis long years in that business, which, ky-
the ways were profitable ones, helped make kin realise
the value of publioity, and in that they are net
far wrong.
Back in 1494, when he was a Liverpool,
Newland' fruit *porter, he represented over a
hundred fruit growers in New York state who shipped
their finest apples to him. Often, even before the
barrels were rolled from the Livernool doskap Mad
had turned over his consignment at a neat profit.
When he decided to deal in pears (he claIns he was
the first to import pears from this country) he
posted handbills, announcing his purpose. That was
his first taste of the fruits of publicity. And it
brought the merchants in droves to his warehouse.
He tried this out on tomatoes, and he virtually took
the entire trade away from those importers who were
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getting tomatoes from Trainee. From then on, since
he had built up a comfortable bank balance from
his association with both, Dad was sold en two thingsl
publieity, and the United States. In 1904, leaving
bigland forever behind bin', he entered the Dominion
of Canada' later he ease ow to this resort town
deep in the touthern a, after first narking
time in Dover, Delaware, where he obtained his
citizenship papers.
Dad opened a fruit store immediately after
he settled in town. He has been in the same store
now for over ten years. It isn't mush of a store,
as stores go. Ton by twelve at Zke most, it cling*
to the side of the town's largest department store
like a barnacle to the side of an ocean liner. Hot
Dad loves every brick in it and is proud of it, for
he wows it himself, which is something, and in spits
of its size, or lack of size, it does a measure of
business which is the envy of the larger stores, which
is everything.
To this latter end Rex, Dad's son, is 1*..
directly responsible. Per it is the publication of
his weekly letters to Dad that acquaints the summer
people with Dad's qualities and incidentally, sends
customers to his lid's market to see for themselves
what manner of man is being extolled. For that in
just what Rex does. He extolls his dad's vi
5,
.g.
and the old man has many. And beat like his dada,
is an old hand at publicity. A former publioity
director for the Royal Canadian Railway company at
twenty-one, and sinee secretary to the Prime Minister
of Canada, historian, cow writer, and again publielty
director, he has mastered the art of self..expression,
persuasion, and salesmanship.
Beek in the days, twentrifive years age,
when Englithmen tailgated to *made by the thousands.
Rees fine Italian hand was more than a little remotely
lased up in the matter. Dad even goes so far as to
1,04 insist that the entire influx was due solely to
the letters Of publicity which Rex wrote weekly to
the London Times. New Re44/ letters to his father,
published every week, have become an institution in
Dad's home town. The men nod their heads in affirmation
of his homely philosophies, and the women wipe their
eyes as they read, and breath a silent prayer that
their own sons may some day spout such fruity truths.
lir dear pal Dad* (writes itix)
One of the most foolish of all the weaknesses
we humans are prone to Is to get all flustered
over a lot of silly fears. ;OS enough
when some timid individual lays awake olnight
fretting about what may or may not happen to-
morrow or next month but when the whole
country gets the Jitters over the European
**gas
situation or something else squally remote
it is time we were all subjected to a geed
dousing of cemmen-sense.
We need more courage. dear is
at the bottom of ninetp.nine percent of
our troubles and ninety-nine timosout of
a hundred the thing we feared doesn't come
to pass.
We should experience a change of
heart and renew our faith faith in the
inherent goodness of a land which could be
flowing with milk and honey, so to speak.
often think of you when I hoer
some timid soul whining and wondering what
in the world is going to happen to them in
their old age. You chose the one sure wear
to Old Age Security s way brightened by
a cheerful outlook on life and a spirit of
helpfulness. You refuse to be daunted by
adversity and you have shown the courage to
start all over again tm zoutr own 441,40.
make your own old age pension fund and your
idea of WPA isWill Perms,* Always."
Stick to it, Dads and SULLINGS
Your living pal,
RU.
Aside frmh being a 'one man publicity bureau'
for his own business as well as for his community, Dad
is recognised ter his own sterlingoverthwhile imalities.
Is there a civic event, he immediately proffers his
time and whatwver else is demanded of hAm4 Re has
a pat on the head and an apple or orange for the shila
dren, and a mile and a good word for their elders. He
beautifies the parkway fronting his store with beds of
flowers, which he plants with extreme care and shelters
with a brood -hen's affection in the spring, then pluake
indliscriminately in the summer for whoever stops to
admire. He wears the same mile for his neighbors, Jew,
Gentile and Negro. He condemns neveri he oritioises
frequently, in a oonstructive mannero litaimer people,
the only reason for his town's existanee, make stunts&
of his shop. On the eve of last Christmas, he received,
by actual count, one hundred and sixtp-one greeting eards
iron former visitors, then wintering in the deeper
spam6 It was to please these persons that he had
valiantly warred against the removal of the trees. It
was to these sane people that he wrote often, inviting
then again to share the cool contort of a summer in
the mountains, and asking them to say a good worliffor
his community to their friends and fellow vaeationists.
The way Dad has taken over the adoption of
the town and its env/erns has endeared him to the hearts
er&
of the people, not to mention the Millibar of Comoro*.
The townsmweple love Dad for it. They gave Generate
evidence of this when old Mks. Rytell died tour years
back. Then* his sorrow was oversee's sorrow. Fran
the neighbors same mikes and baked hams and visits and
twenty.wfour•.hour attendenee. Bran the business men cams
flowers and expressions of condolence. And, in a more
abstract form, fres the summer people come curds and
written measures of sympathy.
At the tin.. Dad outwardly appeared ills usual
self, except that his five...foot frame seemed mere
shrunken than before, and his manner just a little
bit more solicitous. But he had a word for overybedit
a reply to eacilof the cards. During the day he walked
ever to his market from whence he brought apples and
grapes and boxes of his finest candies for the women
who same to help him in his dark hour. At the services
he sat quietly and silently and at the grave he decked
the freshly turned earth with a neatly tied cluster of
his own flowers. Afterward, he went hone with his
sons for a short rest, leaving his tiny market in the
care of a needy neighbor woman* who, by the way, has
served as his assistant ever since.
When Dad came back, he went to live with is
English family, also from his birthplace* Liverpool*
in whose house he has resided ever nisei*. Bs has a room
of his own there* a room just a bit toofull of fur/sitars,
for Dad misted on using his own things, and there are
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enough of these to fill to bursting a good deal more
space than Dad has at present. But, Mad says, he's
content, in spite of his crowed qua*ters, because
1
with his awn things about hiki he doesn't so keenly feel
the breaking up of his awn home. "Besides," he seys,
"home is a state of mind, not a fetish of room or
other conventional nicities. Anyway, I have other
things to fill my mind with."
Fruits, people, publicity, philosophy
those are the things he speaks of. Little things,
perhaps, says fled, but during the week his existence
in full to the brim with the activities they combine to
create.
That i one reason why he has kept that needy
woman in his store as an assistant. Another is that
as his opinion is valued, especially on matters pertaining
to publicity, he is asked about a good deal. Not long
ago he was asked to speak at a meeting of members of
the local Chamber of Commerce. This was right dawn
Dad's alley, for he had a story he had been wanting to
tell. As he took his place behind the speaker's rostrum,
which, by the way, came nearly up to his chin, he was
received with a burst of applause. As Dad spoke he
turned back the years and told his audience about a
little girl he used to know in his native England.
'She was eight years old,' Dad said, "and now she is
a woman nearing her fifties. One day, dawn at the docks,
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I sew her crying. I gave her several apples, found that
she was lost, got in touch with her prxents,'and restored
her safely home. Well, sir, that little girl came to
visit me every day until I shortly afterward left England
to came to this country. Then I lost track of her.
Imagine, then, my surprise to get a letter from her only
last week. She, too, in in this country now. Said she
remembered my kindness, my efforts on her behalf those
many, many years age. When she learned where I was, she
got in touch with me. She says one day she shall visit
me. There, new. If by a smile and a good word to a
lassie of eight, in the distant past, I have made a
personal friend of long standing, and perhaps will be
instrumental in bringing another visitor to this resort
town, just think what you can accomplish by practicing
a similar role with the hundreds of persons you meet
during one tourist season. You say you want to boost
your townt Wen, I say you can best do that by following
the principle I have laid down for you. Smile and
do good works. It costs nothing and pays big dividends,
even if you measure those things on a basis of trade
value alone.'
Dad has a way of putting his point over.
Darin the summer to came, many a member who listened
to Dad's words will put his scheme into practice. Every-
one promised that, and voted Dad an expression of
thanks for appearing bet or then. Shortly afterward
there appeared the following article in one of the
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towns' magasinesjpublished under the subheading
"Distributed Free to Residents and Visitors in 'The
Land of the Sky.'
A TRIBUTE FITTING TO *DAD" RYDELL
There is a wide difference between a "mere
male and a "character.' If an artist were
seeking for a "subject" for a painting he
would not want a pretty man or one carved
out of wood, but he would ask himself, does
this man have strong personality, has he
character lines in his facie? What does he
know, what does he do, what has he done?
If I paint him on my canvas will he impress
the passer-by? Wherein does he differ from
the "common herd?" Is he generous, kindly,
wideowake? Is he useful in the oolignity/
Does he have an opinion? Can he express it?
Of course, he is a good fellow, but is he a
'good man?" Ther's a difference. Does he
seek to promote others, or just himself, at
the expense of others? If you met him on
the highway, would he be a thug, or a rooks
hog, or a food Samaritan? Would he betray
a friend for thirty pieces of silver? Does
he meet with brethern of the shurch on the
Lord's Doy in the house of worship and does
he, by precept and example, do a noble
part?
Such a one is Dad Rydell of Summits
villa, B.C., and I have painted his pic-
ture for you.
Such publicity does Lad no ham. In
fact, it has not a little to do with the f et that
in suer, when the tourists are in town, Dad's
store of delicacies overflows the narrow restrictions
of the little market and spreads over five square feet
of sidewalk on the outside. Dad could easily en-
large his business and make it pay. But, he says,
he's satisfied with things as they are. 'There's
only me, and I won't be around long," is the way
he puts it. 'I've had my day and now Pla content
to ease off in a small way. Anyway, I make plenty
of money as it is. That is, I mean I make enough
to pay for my room and board, bank a little, and
have enough left over to take a trip down to see
Rex occasionally. What more could a body want?"
It is this sane, calm way of looking at
things that have endeared him to his friends and
neighbors and to his sons. And that, Dad says,
is about all he cares about friendships, neighbors,
public good works they are his whole existancel
those things and religion. For Dad thinks that
religion is the basis of them all. He himself attends
the local, weatherbeaten Baptist church, where on
Sunday he passes the collection plate. When seri.
vices are over he posts himself near the door, his
diminutive body lost in the outflowing stream of
worshipers, his affable voice drowned in the souffle
of scraping feet. But the congregation knows just
where Dad will be. Half of them stop to pass the
time of the day. Many of them linger longer to
listen to the bit of philosophy Dad always spouts
as an aftermath to the sermons. And the queerest,
thing of all is the way the younger members of the
congregation crowd around hum. Highschool freshmen
who even at their tender years can look over the top
of Dad's head, stop for a word of greetings and
g4Ing eiAh-grade girls, pushed forward by their
A A
doting mothers mutter chaste good mornings. Of course,
these same youngsters may drop by Dad's market on
Monday and attempt to wheedle him out of an apple
or a candy bar, but the old man likes to have them
around anyway, and he is sure they'd stop for a
word or two on Sunday morning even if he were in
the chicken feed business.
In his kindly, half -egotistical way, he
argues it. 'Sure they play on my kindness, and they
like to publicize themselves by beiNg seen around me.
But I'm I'm certain that they really love me. Why,
my own son is like that. I wean he loves me and
wants to publish the fact to the entire world.
No, I don't mean Rex. It's the other one. Not
long ago, I got a letter from him. (Dad' he said,
I love you Just as much as Rex does. But I can't
write the way he does. I haven't got all those
fancy words at my command. Just the ems I love
you as much as he does, and, by the way, I wish
you would get this letter published, like you do
his, so that the peonle in your town would ,that
I do: And he ended the letter with,Kggv, SMILING
DAD, in capitals, just like hex does, and signed it,
(Your loving pal JOE.